A residential building in Delhi collapsed, with reports indicating that dozens of students may be trapped inside. The incident occurred around 13:30 local time (08:00 GMT) on Sunday in the Satya Niketan neighborhood. Eyewitnesses reported that approximately 50 people were inside the five-storey building at the time of the collapse. According to NDTV, at least one person has died, and two others are in critical condition, while six individuals have been rescued so far.
Construction work was reportedly taking place in the basement of the building, known as Hostel Daze, which is located near the Delhi University campus. Many students were believed to be in their rooms due to the absence of classes on Sunday. A member of the legislative assembly present at the scene stated that some trapped students had been able to make calls from beneath the rubble. Eyewitnesses also mentioned that another adjacent building had collapsed.
Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta confirmed that the nearby building was evacuated as a precaution. She stated, "Every possible effort is being made to safely rescue those trapped." The Delhi Police noted that the collapsed building was approximately 40 to 50 years old. A local shop owner indicated that the building was under a 100-year lease, and the leaseholder had conducted excavation work in the basement to increase income. He remarked that while the upper structure was reinforced, the pillars below were weak, and construction workers were also trapped.
The National Students' Union of India has called for an investigation into the cause of the collapse and accountability for those responsible, stating, "Negligence with the safety of students and common people will not be tolerated at any cost." Police are currently searching for the building's owner, according to Times of India.